Rail-joint.



No. 849,434. PATENTED APR. 9, 1907.

0.11. STEPHENS.

RAIL JOINT.

APPLICATION FILED 11111.22, 1907.

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CHARLES H. STEPHENS, OF BARTLETT, TEXAS.

RAIL-JOINT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 9, 1907.

Application filed January 22, 1907. Serial No. 353,494.

To all whom it may concern/.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES H. STEPHENS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Bartlett, in the county of Williamson and State of Texas,have invented a new and useful Rail-Joint, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to rail-joints of that general class shown anddescribed in Letters Patent issued to me on the 9th day of J anuary,1906, under No. 809,536.

The object of the invention is to improvesimplify, and cheapen theconstruction of the rail-joint by making the same in sections capable ofbeing quickly assembled and locked in engagement with the rail.

A further object is to provide the baseplate with laterally-extendingears or lugs which bear against the fish-plates and serve to assist inlocking the latter against longitudinal displacement as well as toretain the base-plate in position on the cross-ties.

A still further object of the invention is to generally improve thisclass of devices so as to increase their utility, durability, and efficieney, as well as to reduce the cost of manufacture.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists in theconstruction and novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafterfully described, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, it beingunderstood that various changes in form, proportions, and minor detailsof construction may be resorted to within the scope of the appendedclaims.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification,Figure 1 is a side elevation of a rail-joint constructed in accordancewith my invention. Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view of the same.Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of the base-plate detached. Fig. 4 is atransverse sectional view illustrating a modified form of the invention.Fig. 5 is a similar view illustrating a further modification; and Figs.6 to 9, inclusive, are views illustrating further modifications.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in all of thefigures of the drawings.

The improved device is principally designed for connecting the matingends of railway-rails, and by way of illustration is shown applied tothe mating ends of a pair of rails in which 5 designates the rails, 6the crosstie, and 7 and 8 the fish-plates.

The device consists of an elongated baseplate 9, having its lower faceinclined or beveled from opposite edges thereof toward the longitudinalaXis of the plate to produce inclined bearing-surfaces 10, there being aHat bearing-surface 11 disposed at the juncture of the inclined faces 10for engagement with the cross-tie 6.

The opposite ends of the base-plate 9 are provided withlaterally-extending lockingears or lugs 12, which form additionalbearing-surfaces for the base-plate and by enga 'ement with thefish-plates 7 and S serve to ock the same agaii'ist accidentaldisplacement. The fish-plates 7 and 9 are each bent upon themselves, asindicated at 13, and extend inwardly in spaced relation to the plates toproduce inwardly-extcnding arms 14, defining a pocket 15, for thereception of the base of the rail 5. The upper surfaces of the arms 14are inclined or beveled at 16 to correspond to the inclination of thebearingsurfaces 10 of the base-plate, whereby when the fish-plates arepositioned on the rail 5 with the inclined faces 16 thereof bearingagainst the corresp0ndingly-inclined faces of the base-plate 9 the lowersurfaces of the arms 14 are disposed in alinement with the flat surface11 and thus prevent rocking or tilting movement of the rails.

In assembling the parts the base-plate 9 is first placed in position onthe cross-tie, after which the fish-plates are arranged 011 oppositesides of the web of the rail with the inwardly-projecting arms extendedbeneath the base-plate 9 and the belts or fastening devices 17 passedthrough the rail and fishplates, respectively, and the latter spiked tothe cross-tie in the usual manner. It will thus be seen that a strongdurable rail-joint is provided, which will effectually resist bothlateral and longitudinal strains incident to i the passage of cars andother railway rollingstock.

In Fig. 4 of the drawings there is illustrated a modified form of theinvention in which the base of the rail is spaced from the base-plate 9and fish-plates, respectively, to

form an intermediate recess for the reception of a yieldable packing,preferably formed of rubber or other suitable insulating material,thereby to deaden the sound of the passage of the cars over the rails.

In Fig. 5 of the drawings the arm 18 of the fish-plate 7 bears againstthe base of the rail 5, While the arm 19 of the fish-plate 8 over lapsthe arm 18, the adjacent ends of the arms 18 and 19 being inclined orbeveled, as indicated at 20. In this form of the device the fish-plates7 and 8 are preferably provided with laterally-extending lugs 21,similar in construction to the lugs 12, so as to form additionalbearing-surfaces for the fishplates and thus prevent tilting movement ofthe rails.

The base 22 of the plate shown in Figs. 6 to 9, inclusive, is providedat its opposite longitudinal edges with overhanging lips or flanges 23,which receive the adjacent ends of the base of the rail 5 and form aseat for the latter. In this form of the device the baseplate 22 isprovided on its under surfaces with a relatively broad flatbearing-surface 24 for engagement with the adjacent crosstie, theinwardly-projecting arms 25 of the fish-plates 7 and 8 being relativelyshort and inclined or beveled to correspond to the inclination of theadjacent sides of the baseplate 22.

If desired, the base-plates in the several forms of the device may bemade relatively short, so as to only span the rails 5 at their meetingends, thus materially reducing the costof the rail-joint. WVhen thebase-plates are made in short lengths, as before mentioned, theinwardly-extending arms of the fishlates will be made of a length toengage the ocking-lugs 12 on said baseplates, as will be readilyunderstood.

If desired, a cushioning or packing may be used in connection with therail-joints shown in Figs. 5 and 6, while the ends of the fishplatesinstead of bearing against the adjacent faces of the locking-lugs 12 maybe formed with terminal recesses 26 for the re oeption of the lugs 12,as illustrated in Figs. 7 and 9 of the drawings.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that there is provided anextremely simple, inexpensive, and efficient device admirably adaptedfor the attainment of the ends in view.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is 1. In arail-joint, the combination with adjoining rail ends, of a base-platehaving its lower surface inclined or beveled from the oppositelongitudinal edges thereof toward the center of the plate, fish-plateshaving laterally-projecting arms extending beneath the base-plate andhaving their terminals inclined or beveled to correspond to theinclination of the lower surface of the baseplate, and lugs extendinglaterally from said base-plate in the same plane with the lower surfacethereof and bearing against the opposite ends of the fish-plates forlocking the lat ter against longitudinal movement.

2. In a rail-joint, the combination with adjoining rail ends, of abase-plate having its lower surface inclined or beveled in oppositedirections,fish-plates providedwith inwardlyprojecting arms, theterminals of which are inclined to correspond to the inclination of thelower surface of the base-plate, lugs extending laterally from theopposite ends of the base-plate and adapted to engage the fish-platesfor locking the latter against longitudinal movement, and a packingbearing against the rails and engaging the base-plate and fish-plates,respectively.

3. In a rail-joint, the combination with adjoining rail ends, of abase-plate having its lower surface inclined or beveled in oppositedirections and provided with a flat bearingsurface at the juncture ofsaid inclined faces, lugs extending laterally from the base-plate anddisposed in the same plane with the flat bearing-surface of thebase-plate, and fishplates provided with inwardly-projecting arms theends of which are beveled for engagement with thecorrespondingly-beveled faces of the base-plate, said fish-plates beinglocked against longitudinal movement by engagement with the lugs.

4. In a rail-joint, the combination with adjoining rail ends, of abase-plate having its lower surface inclined or beveled from theopposite longitudinal edges thereof toward the center of the plate,there being a flat bearing-surface disposed at the juncture of theinclined faces of said plate, lugs projecting laterally from theopposite ends of the base-plate and extending in the same plane withsaid plate, fish-plates engaging the rails and having their lower endsembracing the base of said rails and extending inwardly for engagementwith the inclined faces of the base-plate, the terminals of saidfish-plates being disposed in horizontal alinement with the fiatbearing-surface of the base-plate and extended to said bearing-surface.

5. In a rail-joint, the combination with adjoining rail ends, of abase-plate having a smooth unobstructed upper surface and having itslower surface inclined or beveled in opposite directions, there being aflat bearingsurface disposed at the juncture of the inclined faces ofsaid base-plate, fish-plates engaging the rails and provided withinwardly-projecting arms the ends of which are inclined to correspond tothe inclination of the inclined faces of the base-plate, the terminalsof said arms being disposed in horizontal alinement With the flatbearing-sur- In testimony that I claim the foregoing as face of thebase-plate and extended to said my own I have hereto allixed mysignature bearing-surface, and lugs extending laterally in the presenceof two Witnesses.

from the opposite ends of said base-plate and CHARLES H. STEPHENS. 5bearing against the adjacent ends ol the fish- Vitnesses:

plate for locking the latter against lengi- JOHN HAIRsToN,

tudinal movement. J. V. MORRIS.

